Crimson High - The Jane Story
by fluffmania207
Summary: This is the accompaniment to 'Crimson High', but from Jane's POV. It's the same story as he sees it. Lisbon is the new girl at school, and realises that true friends can get you through anything
1. Chapter 1

Crimson High – The Jane Story

**A/N: I was having such fun with Lisbon's POV concerning this story, that I couldn't help but wonder what Jane had been up to. So I decided to write this story. It's pretty much the exact same story as 'Crimson High', but from Jane's perspective. Enjoy…**

Chapter one

I wandered the hallways of the school, lacking anything better to do. As the son of a carnival entertainer, I was used to entertaining the masses. With few people around, I felt very bored. My entertainment factor was the reason I was part of the popular crowd. I hated the popular crowd, but somehow, I was seen as the leader of the pack. I strolled past my locker and paused before opening it. I pulled out a book, and shut the door. A figure standing on the other side of the door startled me, and I jumped. I relaxed when I realised that it was just Lorelei. Lorelei Martins was my – for all intents and purposes – girlfriend. She smiled up at me. "Good morning, Patrick."

I smiled back, and gave her a hug. "Morning, babe."

She giggled in my ear and pressed her lips to my cheek. I stepped back and headed in the direction of my first lesson. Lorelei followed me, but got sidetracked talking to one of her friends about some latest gossip. I didn't mind. I didn't actually have any deep feelings for the girl, but when she had approached me a month before, I pitied her and agreed to date her. Anything between us was purely superficial, and more for the title than for any real commitment. My journey took me past Principal Minelli's office, and I spotted an unfamiliar face heading in my direction. The girl had bright green eyes, ebony hair that hung loose about her face, and possibly the most nervous expression I had ever seen. She wore a black leather jacket, an olive green scoop necked shirt, faded blue jeans, and black ankle boots. She walked past me without seeing me, and disappeared into Principal Minelli's office.

I headed for my first lesson, science with Miss Hightower. The lesson went by slowly, and I spent most of the time wondering about the new girl. She seemed nice, but lonely. This loneliness stemmed further than just moving to a new town, as though the weight of the whole world was on her narrow shoulders. I got the impression that she probably lived alone, but she knew how to take care of herself. The bell rang, and I stood up. I wandered from the room and met Lorelei just outside. "How was the first lesson?" she asked, pressing her lips to my cheek.

I smiled. "Boring without you, beautiful." I guess I had to keep up the act.

We strolled arm in arm to where Craig O'Laughlin and JJ LaRoche stood at the water fountain. I turned to Craig. "Anything new?"

He nodded. "There's a new girl. Name's Teresa Lisbon."

I nodded, glad to now have a name for the face I had seen that morning. I turned to JJ. "You up for a game of pool later?"

JJ nodded, and the rest of our large group began to arrive from their lessons. We were all exchanging stories and laughing together, when I spotted someone of interest. Teresa Lisbon was on her way to her next lesson, walking with a gangly boy I knew to be Wayne Rigsby. Craig scowled. Rigsby and Craig weren't exactly friends. Liking a girl could do that to people. I knew for a fact that Rigsby liked a pretty girl named Grace Van Pelt. Craig liked her too, and the two of them fought over her constantly. Rigsby was one up on Craig because Grace liked Rigsby back. Craig wouldn't admit defeat, and continued to pursue her.

Lorelei was clutching my arm as I watched the two people walk past us. Judging by the look on Teresa's face, Rigsby was telling her about us. The look on her face was a mixture of nervous tension and mild disgust. I brought my focus back to what JJ was saying just in time to catch the punch line to a joke. I pretended to laugh along with the rest of them, but I suddenly didn't want to be part of the popular crowd anymore. We had a bad reputation amongst the students, and I hated that the most. I felt that I had no real friends here, and that this whole thing was just an act. Teresa and Wayne vanished around a corner, and I stepped away from Lorelei. "I'm going to be late for Geography," I mumbled, hurriedly walking away from her.

She didn't really notice me leave, and continued talking to JJ. I rounded the corner and walked away from them, my stomach twisting in distaste.

Lunchtime rolled around, and I found myself – against my better judgement – at the popular table. Lorelei sat next to me, and laughed along as I produced a coin from behind Craig's ear. My father had taught me that trick when I was about five, and it never failed to amuse people. Craig rolled his eyes. He had seen the trick before, but couldn't help but wonder how it was done. He turned to talk to the girl next to him, and spotted someone walking past the table. "Hey, Lucy," he called, getting the passing girl's attention.

She automatically glanced up at us, and her face turned pale. Her thick glasses had slid down her nose slightly, giving her eyes an unusual owlish appearance. Her face was quite pretty, but the glasses made her eyes look too large for her face. She stopped walking, and Lorelei laughed. "I like your glasses. They suit you."

The entire table broke into laughter, and I pretended to go along with it, but secretly my heart hurt for Lucy Malone. She had poor eyesight, and she pushed her glasses up her face self-consciously. I watched her hurry off to where her friends sat, and turned to Lorelei. I wanted to scold her like a child, but something else crossed my mind instead. I glanced up to where Teresa was sitting with Rigsby, Grace and Kimball Cho. She had found some honest friends to hang out with, and I was glad for her. She was listening intently to something Grace was saying, and I got the feeling that they were talking about us. Teresa ran her fingers through her hair, and muttered something to Cho, who shook his head. He mumbled something back, and Teresa scowled. The bell rang, and we all stood up to leave.

Lorelei tugged at my arm. "Can I talk to you, Patrick?"

I nodded and followed her into the crowded corridor. "What do you want to talk about?"

Lorelei walked next to me. "You seem very interested with the new girl. Is it because you think she's prettier than me?"

I rolled my eyes. "You're jealous. That's beneath you, Lorelei. And rather childish of you."

She grabbed my arm and yanked me to a stop. "I am not jealous of that girl. She just hasn't been told where the lines are yet. Maybe we should show her."

I turned to face her. "Lorelei," I warned. "We have a bad enough reputation already. Why make it worse by intimidating Teresa? What has she done to you that you need to 'show her the lines'?"

Lorelei looked me in the eye. "Nothing. Yet. I'll talk to JJ and see what he can organise. Maybe Craig can help him."

I fought the urge to scowl at her. "Fine," I said. "But you're making the plans, not me."

She nodded and walked away, and I held my hands to my head in frustration. Lorelei was impossible, exactly like a petty toddler. I really did feel sorry for Teresa. She was a really sweet girl.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

My last lesson was Spanish, and I sat behind Craig. He turned around to face me as I sat down. "Patrick," he said. "We've got a plan for the new girl."

I raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

He glanced around and outlined a plan for me. It involved petty insults and rude behaviour, something I would refuse to indulge in. I had higher standards than that. I scowled. "I'm not doing that to her, Craig. She hasn't done anything to deserve that kind of treatment. Especially on her first day at a new school."

Craig shrugged. "So? What are a few slightly untrue remarks between friends? So, maybe she is within earshot when we say them. Does it really matter?"

"I refuse to go along with this, Craig," I said, folding my arms. "I'm not doing that to Teresa Lisbon. She doesn't deserve it."

Craig frowned. "Lorelei is not going to like that. This was her idea."

"Screw Lorelei," I muttered under my breath. I looked Craig in the eye. "How about we change our plan? Maybe take a less, harsh, route."

Craig raised an eyebrow. "Change the plan?"

I nodded. "Instead of saying anything to her, why don't we just use physical intimidation?"

Craig looked confused. "You mean, push her around a bit? That's not exactly a good idea, Patrick. We could get into serious trouble."

"No," I said, perhaps too quickly. "We don't touch her."

I outlined my plan to him, and he agreed that mine was probably a better idea. He hadn't really liked Lorelei's plan in the first place anyway. He had just agreed to it to get her off his case. The lesson ended quickly, and we stood up. We met JJ just outside the classroom door, and Craig outlined the new plan. JJ seemed even more surprised than Craig had at my change in plan. We headed out into the parking lot, and I tracked down the red Peugeot 405. The three of us leant up against the driver's side of the car and waited for her to appear from the school. Three minutes later, the tiny figure appeared at the door. She strode across the parking lot, but frowned when she spotted us. I fought not to react as I watched her pull out her keys and attempt a confident stride. She glanced up at me, and I smiled back at her. She remained expressionless as she walked around the car and opened the passenger's side. As soon as she was in the driver's seat, the three of us walked away. She had received the message loud and clear, and I had saved her from the worst day of her life.

I felt a little better at that thought as I said goodbye to JJ and Craig. I got into my light blue Citroen and drove in the direction of my house. I lived with my mother, and she greeted me as I stepped through the door. "Patrick, darling," she said. "How was your day?"

I smiled and kissed her cheek. "It was fine, mom. Yours?"

She launched into a tale of her day running errands, and listened good-naturedly. I glanced at the wall clock and smiled. "I have work to do, mom," I said, turning for the stairs.

She smiled. "I'll call you for dinner."

Inside my room, I dropped my bag onto my bed. I sank into an old couch in my room, and sighed. The couch was brown leather, wide and comfortable, and I relaxed. My thoughts turned to Teresa. She was different from the other girls at school, and I wondered why. I cursed my father for teaching me his tricks, but the cold-reading came in handy now. I could tell that Teresa had suffered a life-changing tragedy in her past, and had borne huge responsibility at a young age. I wondered what had happened, and suddenly found myself wanting desperately to know. I lay on my couch, thinking about Teresa and her possible problems, until my mother called me for dinner.

**A/N2: I hope you've enjoyed this accompaniment to the original story. Please review and tell me how I'm doing. Thanks.**


	2. Chapter 2

Crimson High – The Jane Story

Chapter two

About six weeks had passed since the arrival of Teresa Lisbon, but I still couldn't shake her from my thoughts. I had no idea why I was so desperate to know her problems, but the feeling just wouldn't leave. I needed to know, so I could help her. Lorelei had been furious when she found out that I had changed the plan, but I refused to budge on my decision. Teresa didn't deserve what Lorelei had initially decided, and I was glad I could spare her that horror. Lorelei was still – according to the public eye – my girlfriend, but I didn't really want that anymore. I hated the way Lorelei spoke about Teresa, like she was worthless and inadequate. A girl like Teresa was worth a lot more than what Lorelei was.

I began to notice that Teresa would often wear the same shirt twice a week, or that her jeans would be worn for two weeks straight before they were changed. This showed me that she was struggling financially, and didn't own a lot of luxuries. She barely had enough clothing. I knew she didn't have a lot of money, but I wasn't sure why she didn't ask for some from her friends. Cho, Rigsby and Grace were more than willing to lend her some money.

Teresa and her friends attempted to stay out of our way as much as possible. I felt sick whenever I watched her walk past us quickly, with her head down. I knew she was attempting to not draw attention to herself, and the idea that I had played a part in that made me feel angry. Lorelei agreed to leave her alone, but only after I threatened to break up with her. Craig had doubled his efforts to win Grace's affections, but she ignored him. We had all tried telling him to give up, but he refused to admit to defeat. I admired his efforts, but he needed to move on.

I sat in the cafeteria at lunch, trying to pretend I was enjoying myself. I hated every minute of sitting there these days. Lorelei clung to my arm, and I resisted the urge to shake her off. I was so deep in thought that I didn't even hear JJ calling my name. Lorelei shook me out of my thoughts. "Patrick," said JJ. "What's up?"

I shrugged. "I'm just thinking about stuff. It's been worrying me for a while now."

JJ glanced at Lorelei, but she ignored him. "What stuff?" she asked, gripping my arm tighter.

I didn't reply, but JJ already knew. "Teresa?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Dude, this isn't the first time you've been thinking about her. What's up?"

I shrugged. "I'm worried."

Lorelei stiffened next to me when JJ mentioned Teresa's name. "Teresa Lisbon?" she asked through gritted teeth. "You've been sitting next to your girlfriend this whole time, but thinking about another girl? Worrying about her? You should be worrying about me! I'm your girlfriend." She pushed herself away from me and stood up. She put her hands on her hips and yelled down at me. "We are done! You care more for her than you ever did for me. This has gone on long enough, Patrick Jane! This relationship is over! I can't believe I fell for you!" With that, she turned and ran from the room.

I could feel all eyes in the room on me, and so I turned to the person next to me, Harold Atkinson. "She took that well." I said nonchalantly.

Harold laughed, and I felt myself smile. Lorelei had been a real pain in the ass, and I was actually glad we were done. I glanced up towards Teresa, but she was talking to Grace, and not looking in my direction. Everyone else at our table was at a loss at what to do next, and so I produced a coin from Harold's collar with a flourish. Everybody laughed, and soon the atmosphere was almost back to normal. The bell rang, and we all stood up. I watched Teresa head off towards her locker, and the same niggling question ran through my mind; what happened to her that made her what she is? I patted JJ on the shoulder as I passed him, and he smiled back at me. "Lorelei will get over it."

I shrugged. "That doesn't worry me," I stared past him in the direction Teresa had gone. "I worry about what she will do to Teresa."

Craig came up next to me. "They're going to insult her."

I felt myself go cold. "What?"

Craig nodded. "I heard Lorelei and Casey talking. They're planning on catching her at her locker."

I knew that I couldn't stop Lorelei. I shouldn't. If Lorelei didn't get this out of her system now, it would only be worse for Teresa later. I felt sorry for her. She didn't deserve to be treated like this.

On my way out of the school, I stopped by my locker. I suspected what I would find, and my thoughts were confirmed as I opened the locker door. A shower of bits of paper hit the floor. Twenty-three phone numbers. I picked up the wad of numbers and shoved them angrily back into my locker. I had no time for desperate girls looking for something shallow and temporary. I couldn't handle going through that again. My stomach turned when I came to a startling realisation. I didn't want to have those kinds of thoughts in the middle of the school building, and so I shut my door with a bang. I headed out to my car and drove off. I needed to get away, now. I needed to be away from the shallow, petty atmosphere that hung about the school like a dense fog. And I knew the perfect place to go.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

I sat alone in the booth at the coffee shop, drinking a cup of tea. I needed time away from the pretending, and the troubles of daily life. I heard two familiar voices at the door, but resisted the urge to look in their direction. I didn't want to draw attention to myself. Grace and Teresa sat in the booth behind me, and ordered a coffee each. Teresa had wanted to talk to Grace, and that's why they were here. I listened in closely to their conversation as Teresa told grace the whole story. My eyes grew wide. Teresa had lost her mother at age twelve. I now knew why the weight of the world lay upon her shoulders, because she had raised her three brothers herself. She had left her home to find work because her father couldn't hold down a job, and she was holding down two jobs while attending school. I was right about her living alone, and the thought saddened me. No-one so kind should ever have to go through that kind of trauma. A lot of things about her now made sense to me. Two hours passed, and I was still listening to her speak. "I can't believe you've lived through that, Teresa." Said Grace gently.

I could hear tears in Teresa's reply. "It's been a lot, but I'm handling it."

I could tell how hard it had been for Teresa to tell her this. I got the impression that Teresa liked handling things on her own, and letting someone in was a big step for her. "What suddenly brought this on?" asked Grace, slightly confused.

I listened closely to the comments Lorelei and her friends had made earlier that day. Lorelei had insulted her favourite jacket, and had called it scruffy. Casey had insulted her boots, calling them ugly and tacky. "I'm so sorry, Teresa," said Grace. "I know what it's like to be on the other end of that attack. Especially since…" her voice trailed off.

I smiled to myself. Grace was so kind to Teresa. "Thank you for listening to my story, and for being a comfort to me."

I smiled at Teresa's words, but then frowned. I wanted to be a comfort to her, to tell her that everything was going to be alright. But I couldn't, not when she barely trusted me.

Grace shifted in her seat. "What are friends for?"

They laughed together, and I smiled. Teresa really did have a good friend.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Christmas approached, and I watched as Teresa and Grace grew closer. I couldn't help but like Teresa. Her kindness seeped into everything she said or did, and I felt drawn to her. I was lying in bed one night, unable to sleep, when something occurred to me. Even though I knew most of Teresa's life story, she barely acknowledged me. I got out of my bed and headed over to my desk. I wanted to write down how I truly felt about her, but I couldn't bring myself to. It would terrify her. Instead, I opted for a short note, written in a language I knew well. I used slightly outdated English, knowing that doing so would throw her a little off balance.

"Teresa, sapphires do no justice to your glittering eyes. Ebony silk has no texture in comparison to your exquisite locks. Your features are sweet and lovely beyond compare, and many a heart do you now hold, to the envy of those around you."

It took me over half an hour to compose the simple note, and I glanced around to find many crumpled bits of paper lying on the floor. I folded the note and slid it into my bag. I still couldn't sleep, and so I got up to get ready. I wanted to be there early.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

I sat in the cafeteria later that day, listening to Craig telling me about his next idea to win Grace. I fought the urge to roll my eyes, and smiled politely. I glanced across to where Teresa sat, and froze. She was showing the note I had slipped into her locker to Grace. I saw Grace smile, and Teresa blushed. The blush made her look beautiful, and I had to work to remain focussed. I could see them discussing the note amongst themselves, and I wanted to smile. Cho had reservations, and Rigsby agreed with Van Pelt's decision. I felt myself relaxing, and considered a note for the next week. I couldn't think of anything to say, but I knew I would come up with something by the following Wednesday.

That week passed in a blur, and I found myself the next Tuesday night still with nothing to say. Teresa's face appeared constantly in my dreams, and I couldn't escape the thoughts about her. I sat at my desk, and an idea came to me.

"Teresa, you hold my heart, haunt my dreams. I can only call you my 'Beautiful Nightmare'. Sweet dreams, Teresa, my Beautiful Nightmare."

I folded the paper and slid it into my bag. I was eager for her to see what she was doing to me. I was being masochistic, but in a surprisingly pleasant way.

She hadn't read it by lunchtime, and I was worried. Maybe I had been too forward by sending notes. My palms sweated, and I fidgeted nervously in my seat. It wasn't until the next morning that I realised something. She had read my note when she had arrived back home that night. Her face looked pensive and nervous, and I smiled to myself. She was clearly affected, and I decided to continue sending the little notes.

Six weeks down the line, and she still hadn't worked out who it was. I enjoyed watching their conversations over lunch as they attempted to work out who was sending the cryptic notes to her. It was the beginning of the last lesson, and I spotted both of them heading towards Grace's locker. I caught the word 'genie' as they walked past. I smiled. That was in reference to the last note I had sent.

"Teresa, a genie in a bottle could not conjure the exquisite beauty that you are. You hold my heart, my mind. I close my eyes and only see you. You are the light in a day, the stars at night. A beauty that none other can match."

I leant up against my locker and watched them as Grace dug around for her book. Teresa caught my movement as I shifted out of the corner of her eye and nudged Grace with her elbow. I was watching them, a somewhat indulgent smile on my face. They both looked at me, and Teresa raised an eyebrow in mild confusion. I grinned widely at her before sauntering off to my last lesson. She wore my favourite expression; annoyed and slightly confused. I chuckled and kept walking.

**A/N: Please review and tell me what you think about this story. I really appreciate the input. Thanks.**


	3. Chapter 3

Crimson High – The Jane Story

**A/N: I'm so sorry it's taken two weeks for me to update this, but life has just been so hectic at the moment, that the possibility of updates is irregular at best. I will try to catch this up to the original story, and then I will continue to update 'Crimson High' once the two stories are at the same point. Enjoy this next chapter.**

Chapter three

Every week, I wrote a note and slipped it into Teresa's locker. I could see she was enjoying the attention I was giving her, and that made me happy. I was glad that she had something to look forward to every week. I could tell a lot about her personality just by watching her interact with her friends. She had a good heart, struggled to lie, and couldn't help looking after her friends. She had weaknesses she didn't want people to see, and she refused to ask for help herself. I was aware she was struggling financially, as she had lost a little bit of weight during the holidays. I figured she had given up on some meals to send presents home to her three brothers. She truly was selfless, and I envied her.

Valentine's Day had come, and I sauntered through the front doors of the school that Thursday morning, whistling to myself. I half expected to see Lorelei waiting for me at my locker, but she was nowhere to be seen. I opened my locker and a large pile of heart-shaped bits of paper fluttered to the floor. I picked them up and shoved them back in; I would read them later. The desperate pleas for attention made me feel bad, because there was only one girl who truly held my attention. I smiled when I remembered the note I had left for Teresa in her locker the day before.

"Teresa, in this, the season of love, your radiant glow outshines that of everyone around. Your glowing eyes light up my day, and haunt my dreams. A single smile from you has me flying sky high. Happy Valentine's Day, darling Teresa."

I shut my locker and headed in the direction of Science. I glanced to the side and paused. Teresa had just come through the door, and she looked exhausted. Her face was drawn anxiously, and I noticed dark blotched patches of engine grease on her favourite jeans. She hurried to her first lesson, stifling a yawn in the process. She clearly hadn't had her coffee that morning, and that stressed her out more. I entered my classroom and sauntered to Miss Hightower's desk. She looked up at me and smiled. "Good morning, Mr Jane."

I smiled back. Miss Hightower had a habit of calling all of her students by their last names. "Miss Hightower," I said. "May I please leave your lesson ten minutes early? I need to run an errand for a friend."

She raised an eyebrow at my request. "This had better not be some trick, Jane."

I shook my head. "No trick, ma'am. I genuinely need to do this."

She nodded. "You can go early, just don't get caught."

I flashed my best grin. "Thank you, ma'am."

I took my seat as other students began to enter. JJ came over to my desk. "Lorelei is upset you didn't get her anything."

I shrugged. "I don't need to. We broke up months ago."

He frowned. "She's still not over you, you know that?"

I nodded, and JJ turned away. The lesson began, and I glanced periodically at my watch. Ten minutes from the end, I stood up. Miss Hightower glanced at me and nodded. I left the room and headed in the direction of the teacher's lounge. I knew they had a coffee machine, and I had to try soliciting coffee from one of the teachers. I knocked quietly on the door, and Mr Bosco answered. The ageing history teacher glanced down at me and frowned. "What do you want, Mr Jane?"

I looked back up at him. "A cup of black coffee, no sugar."

He blinked in confusion. "Who for?"

I thought on my feet, and had a response ready. "Red John."

Red John was the school janitor, so named because of the crimson overalls he always wore. No-one knew what his real name was. Mr Bosco nodded suspiciously and disappeared. He returned with a disposable cup containing the pitch black brew, and handed it to me. I thanked him, and he shut the door. I headed over to Red John's office and knocked on the door. He opened the door a crack and peered out at me. "Whaddaya want?"

I smiled politely at him. "I need a locker combination."

Red John sneered down at me. "Anything you get from me will cost you a lot, Patrick. You of all people know that."

I suppressed a shudder. I remembered the last time I had been to Red John's office. It had cost me a lot more than money, and I still had the scars to prove it. The seemingly harmless, if not eccentric, janitor had a somewhat sadistic side to him, and I had been on the receiving end of that the previous year. Nothing could be definitively proven, but I avoided having to go to Red John if I could help it. I pulled out my wallet and counted out two hundred dollars. "Is that enough, Red John?" I asked, handing it to him.

He counted the money himself, the sneer still on his face. "Sure, Patrick," he said, putting it into his back pocket. "For now."

I stood my ground. "Locker 397."

He shuffled over to a filing cabinet and pulled open a drawer. He pulled out a sheet of paper. "Teresa Lisbon," he said, turning to face me. "Her code is on the bottom of the page."

I took the page from him and read the code. Satisfied that I knew the code, I handed the page back to him. "Thank you, Red John."

He turned away. "Any time, Patrick. Any time."

I hurried away and pushed him from my mind. I needed to get to Teresa's locker before the bell rang. I reached her locker and opened it quickly, looking around. Placing the coffee inside, I pulled out a piece of paper and a pen. I scrawled a note onto the paper and propped it against the cup.

"Teresa, you looked positively exhausted this morning. Thought this would cheer you up a little. I have no idea how you like it, but I can tell from your personality that I've got it close. Enjoy your caffeine kick, and have a beautiful day."

I shut the locker and walked away as the bell rang. I had guessed at Teresa's coffee from her personality. She was a no-nonsense, no-frills person, and that made me settle for unsweetened black coffee. I passed Lorelei in the hallway, and she smiled at me. "Happy Valentine's Day, Patrick."

I paused momentarily, looking coolly at her. "Good morning, Lorelei."

Her smile vanished, and I continued to my Geography lesson. Mr Kirkland was sitting at his desk when I entered, and I headed automatically to my seat. Craig was just behind me, his face blank. "What's up?" I asked, turning to him.

He scowled. "Rigsby gave her a teddy bear this morning."

I sighed. Of course this was about Grace. "So?" I asked.

"They're now 'official', which means that I no longer have a shot with her."

I patted him on the arm. "There will be other girls, Craig."

He sighed, and turned away.

The cafeteria was noisy, and I sat in silence with the popular crowd. I watched as Teresa handed the note to Grace, whose eyes went wide as she read it. she said something to Teresa, who shrugged in response. Lorelei's loud talking drew my attention. "So I went over to her, and asked her who gave her the stuffed rat. She told me that Rigsby had, and I was like, 'how can he give you something so ugly and worthless for Valentine's Day?' The look on her face was priceless."

The entire group laughed, and I stood abruptly. I left before Teresa could look up and see me there. I wanted no more part in their nasty games. I had had enough. I had to find a way to redeem myself and make Teresa see that I was better than that. A plan formulated itself in my mind, and I smiled in anticipation.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

I pulled my car up to the apartment block where Teresa lived and cut the engine. She wasn't home yet, and so I got out of the car and walked into the building. I found her room easily, and tried the handle. It was locked. I could easily pick the lock, but that would leave evidence and alert her, and so I did the next best thing. I headed around the back of the building and climbed the fire escape. I found her apartment and crawled through the window. I glanced once around the room and noted that there was very little furniture. An old desk sat against the wall opposite the door, and her tiny bedroom contained only the bed. There was a framed photo on the desk of three smiling boys, her brothers. I was still looking for more pictures when a noise disturbed me. I heard a key turn in the lock, and stood behind the door as it opened. A tired Teresa entered the room and kicked the door shut behind her. she sat down at her desk and rested her head on the surface. I stood for a long time watching her, when she suddenly stiffened. She sat up and opened the top drawer on the desk. She pulled out a gun, turned in her chair and pointed it squarely at my chest. "Who are you?" she asked.

I felt myself go cold when I saw the gun, but I ignored the feeling. This was more important.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

I pushed myself away from the wall, and I could see her eyes widen in the dim light from the desk lamp. "Is this really the way to treat you guest, Teresa?" I asked.

"Patrick Jane," she said, lowering her gun. "What the hell are you doing in my house?"

I glanced around, amused at the description of the tiny room. "Well," I said with a grin. "I wouldn't exactly call it a house. An apartment, maybe, or even a shoebox. But not a house…"

Teresa raised the gun again, and I stopped speaking. "Either you tell me why you're here, or get the hell out before I pull the trigger."

I raised my arms in surrender, and decided to tell her the truth. "I just wanted to check if you were okay. You seemed upset this morning. You're usually much happier this late in the week."

She dropped the gun back into the drawer, shutting it slowly. She had a lot of questions on her mind. "How do you know my name? Or where I live? Or how I felt this morning? Or how I feel on any morning?"

I grinned at her, dropping my hands again. "Magic."

She rolled her eyes. "Answer the questions, or I'm taking the gun out again."

I raised my hands in surrender, but decided to mess with her mind a little. Teresa was a fun person to mess with, because her reaction was always so funny. Plus, I was enjoying the casual banter. "I might tell you that I'm stalking you. I could tell you that I've been following you home for about three weeks, and that I've been watching your every move, but I get the feeling that you would probably pull that gun out again, and possibly use it. Judging by your mood, you're just as likely to club me to death with it as pull the trigger."

She was stunned, and somewhat taken aback at my response. "You're part of the popular crowd," she blurted out. "Why me?"

I was not expecting the question, and I blinked rapidly in surprise. I couldn't tell her the truth – at least not all of it – so I settled for a half-truth. "You're different from the rest."

She stood up, thoroughly irritated with me. "This is wasting my time," She muttered, walking to the door. She flung it open. "Get the hell out of my apartment or I'm calling the cops."

I sighed and walked to the door. I decided to reveal that I knew more of what she was suffering than she thought, at the same time baffling her. That was always so much fun. "You would think that holding down two jobs while still attending school would be beneficial, but it's really quite stressful on the system. Try to relax more, maybe spend a weekend away…"

Her mouth hung open in shock. She was speechless. I turned at the door and chuckled at my favourite expression. Shock mixed with irritation. She scowled at me as I pulled the door closed, and I whispered, "good night, Teresa," through the wooden door. I turned and walked back down to my car. The drive home was long, and I thought a lot about her reactions. Teresa Lisbon was fun to annoy, but I knew that I would have to do more to convince her I was not like the rest of the popular group. All I needed was time.

**A/N2: I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, and that it was worth the wait. Please leave me a review and tell me what you think of my efforts. Thanks.**


	4. Chapter 4

Crimson High – The Jane Story

**A/N: I felt I owed you another chapter tonight, because I haven't updated for a while. Enjoy.**

Chapter four

I entered the building the next morning and headed for my locker. I spotted Grace and Rigsby talking earnestly at her locker, but Teresa was nowhere to be seen. That was good, because I didn't want a confrontation about my surprise visit. I was nervous that she may tell people in the school. If word got to Lorelei, Teresa was a target for sure. I opened my locker and dug around for a book. As I closed the door, Lorelei was standing on the other side. "Lorelei," I said with some surprise. "Why are you here?"

She smiled sweetly at me. "I can't handle not being with you anymore. I want to get back with you."

I turned to face her properly. I can't do that, Lorelei."

Her face turned sour. "Why not? We're perfect together."

I shook my head. "I can't, Lorelei. My heart belongs to someone else."

"Bullshit!" she replied. "I'm the only one who ever truly cared about you, Patrick."

I laughed once. "Lorelei, we are over. You don't care about anything unless you can get something out of it. I don't feel that way about you, and I've moved on. You should too."

Lorelei grabbed my arm. "Please, Patrick," she whined. "We can make it work."

I shook her off. "It's too late, Lorelei. I feel that way bout someone else now."

Her expression turned angry, and she turned around abruptly. "I am going to find whoever that bitch is, and I am going to kick her ass!"

She vanished, and I turned back towards Grace's locker. Only Rigsby stood there, his eyes wide. It was obvious he had heard what was said. I shrugged and walked away. I felt scared for Teresa, because Lorelei was quite persistent when she wanted something. I went to my first lesson, and listened to the gossip as it flew around the room. Word spread quickly that Lorelei was on the rampage, and I sighed. Teresa didn't even know she was a target.

Between lessons, I looked for signs that Teresa had told her friends about my visit the night before, but they gave no indication of knowing. I sat in the cafeteria and watched as Lorelei entered the room. She sauntered over to me. "I'm going to find her," she said. "You can't hide her from me."

I smiled at her and shook my head. "No chance, Lorelei."

She glared down at me before turning and stalking away. I watched her in mild disinterest, but a thought occurred to me. What if Lorelei actually found out that it was Teresa? I felt panic rising, and glanced across at Teresa when Lorelei's back was turned. Our eyes met for less than a second, but I wasn't quick enough to hide the panic in my eyes. Lorelei turned and headed across the cafeteria towards Teresa, and I fought the urge to jump up and stop her. The four friends were deep in conversation when Lorelei interrupted them. I could tell from her body language that she wasn't interested in Grace. But she stiffened at something Teresa said, and abruptly turned away. I watched her leave, and knew that Lorelei had her target. The bell rang, and I stood up. I wanted to leave immediately, but I was stalled by JJ, who was asking questions. "What does Lorelei want?" he asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know. She just went wild when I told her I couldn't get back with her."

We were walking in the direction of Teresa's locker, and we rounded the corner. I froze in shock as Lorelei launched herself at Teresa.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

Teresa staggered under the force of the attack, but stayed upright. She pushed Lorelei away, but Lorelei reached for Teresa's hair. The girl next to me screamed unnecessarily, and Teresa swung her fist. It connected with Lorelei's cheekbone, and she clutched her face. JJ and I looked at each other and rushed forwards. Lorelei punched Teresa across the side of the head, and Teresa staggered under the force of the blow. Lorelei came at her again, this time with her nails. I watched as two streaks of blood appeared on Teresa's cheek. Teresa had her by the hair, and Lorelei was screaming. I wrapped my arms around Teresa's torso and pulled her back. JJ did the same to Lorelei, and we separated the fight. Teresa didn't struggle, but Lorelei clawed and fought against JJ's grip on her. I dropped my arms and placed my hand on her back. I guided her away to the nurse's office, picking up her dropped bag as I went. "Come, Teresa," I said. "You're bleeding."

She just nodded mutely and allowed me to lead her away. The nurse's office was just up the hall, and soon we had reached the door. She glanced up at me and I gazed back down into deep green eyes. I just smiled back down at her and opened the door. I stepped through behind her and put her bag down just inside the door. I watched her as she tried to wipe the blood running down her pale skin with her fingers. I laughed at the effort, glad that she was okay. "That's not going to work, Teresa. You need to clean it properly. Come here."

I gently pulled her by the hand, leading her to a chair in the corner. She passively sat down, and I began to rummage around in one of the cabinets against the far wall. The nurse appeared from the back room and saw me. "Mr Jane," she said, annoyed with me. "What are you doing digging around in my cabinets?"

I looked up at her and smiled. Nurse Summer Thomas was good friends with my mother. "I'm cleaning the scratches on Teresa's face. She got in a little scuffle with her locker door."

Nurse Thomas smiled at Teresa. "I'll leave you to it then."

She vanished back into the room, shutting the door behind her. I stood up and returned to where Teresa was sitting, carrying several items. She watched as I opened the antiseptic and applied a little to a piece of gauze. I dabbed it gently against the first scratch, and I felt her grit her teeth against the sting. "Why me?" She asked as I gently wiped her face clean.

"Lorelei has, issues," I replied, smiling at her.

Lorelei had more than just issues, but I wasn't about to reveal the real reason behind the attack. She rolled her eyes at my statement. "I never would have guessed," she said sarcastically.

I chuckled again. "She gets possessive. I guess you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Her eyes narrowed. "Uh-uh. I was targeted. Why?"

I smiled at her, hiding my alarm at her perceptiveness. She knew I was hiding something. I changed the subject abruptly. "Do you want me to cover this?"

I could tell she noted the sudden subject change, but she sighed and said nothing about it. "No, it will heal better uncovered."

I raised an eyebrow. "Are you a medical expert now?"

She grimaced, obviously not wanting to broach this specific subject. "Let's just say, I have a little practice with this kind of thing."

I raised an eyebrow again, this time in confusion. "With getting into fights?"

Teresa looked down, but didn't reply. I figured this had something to do with what she hadn't told Grace that day. I had the feeling she was hiding something, but I wasn't sure what. I simply smiled sympathetically at her. I slowly stood up and helped her to her feet. "I'm late for class," she mumbled, looking around for her bag. "Where's my bag?"

I glanced towards the door. She spotted the bag, and went over to pick it up. I pulled a small slip of paper out of my pocket and held it unseen. I had written my number on it. I put my hand on her shoulder and stopped her from walking. She turned around to face me, and I rested his hand on my hip for just a moment. In that moment I slid the paper into her front pocket. I dropped my hand. "Teresa," I said, looking her in the eyes. "If you ever need anything, just call me."

She nodded and walked to the door. She picked up her bag, and turned around again. "Thank you, Patrick."

I smiled, and Teresa smiled back. Then she hurried from the room, eager to get to the next lesson. I followed just behind her, and met up with JJ at the end of that lesson. "Where's Lorelei?" I asked, glancing around.

JJ sighed. "She went home. Teresa gave her one hell of a black eye."

I frowned. "It's almost like she's done it before. It came too naturally to her."

JJ shrugged. "All I know is that I'm going to get crapped on about it. Lorelei is going to be furious."

I turned away. I had a feeling that I knew what Teresa was hiding. I needed to think further about it, and so I pushed the thought aside for later.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

I lay back on my couch and stared at the ceiling. I thought about Teresa's story. Her father had suffered badly after her mother's death, and had resorted to alcohol for comfort. I had noticed that afternoon that, when I raised my hand to her face to clean it, she had flinched unconsciously. It didn't only happen when I did it. Whenever Cho or Rigsby waved their arms about – which was fairly often for Rigsby – she would duck or flinch unconsciously. She wasn't even aware she did it. It wasn't enough for most people to notice, but my skills in body language and cold reading helped me to pick up the movement. She seemed to be scared of male figures, and so she didn't trust me very much. I could see that much in her eyes. I could only come to one sickening conclusion; Teresa's father had physically abused her whenever he was drunk. I felt sick to my very inner core. How any man could think of willingly hurting that sweet, innocent girl was beyond me. Plus, knowing how selfless Teresa was, I suspected that she took most of the beatings for her brothers, to protect them. I couldn't even begin to imagine the emotional pain she was suffering. She had left her brothers at the mercy of their father just so they could have money for food. I decided that they needed my help too. If Teresa was to trust me, I needed to help her brothers in any way I could. But first, I needed to talk to Teresa again. She needed to see my side of the story too.

**A/N2: I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, and that you've forgiven me for leaving this story for two weeks. Please review and tell me what you think. Thanks.**


	5. Chapter 5

Crimson High – The Jane Story

Chapter five

I was up early the next morning. I knew that Teresa worked at a diner across town on the weekends, and so I wanted to go and visit her. However, I had other things I wanted to do first. In order to win her trust – and hopefully, her heart – I needed to start showering her with affection. I had no idea what she liked, but I had to start somewhere. I drove to the nearest mall and wandered around, looking for anything that might help me win her over. I had money from our days in the carnival that would come in handy today. When my mother and I had left the carnival, she had taken the box which contained all of the ill-gotten money my father had. It had upwards of two hundred thousand dollars in it. We had never used much of it, but I knew that half of it was mine.

I wandered the crowded mall, searching for the perfect gift. I was passing by a jewellery store when I spotted something in the window. It was an oval pendant made out of gold, with three hearts punched through. I went into the store. The girl behind the counter wasn't much older than I was, and her eyes widened when she saw me. "Good morning," she greeted me brightly. "How may I help you?"

I glanced towards the window. "How much is the gold pendant in the window?"

Her face fell ever so slightly, but she walked around the counter and went over to the window. "Six hundred dollars. We can also have it engraved for you for an extra fifty dollars."

I nodded. "I'll take it, with the engraving."

She pulled it out of the case and took it back to the counter. "What name would you like engraved on it?"

"Teresa," I replied. She pulled out a pen and a piece of paper. "T-e-r-e-s-a."

She wrote the name down, and I pulled a wad of cash from my back pocket. I counted out the money and handed it to her. Her eyes were wide. "This should be ready in about an hour."

I nodded, flashing a grin. "I'll come back for it."

I left that store and glanced at my watch. I now had an hour to kill, and so I continued walking around, looking for anything that could help me. An idea came to mind, one that I knew Teresa would view as over the top and extravagant, and I headed in the direction of a printing shop I had seen on my way in. The man behind the counter nearly fell over at my request. "One thousand?" he repeated.

I nodded. "One thousand strips of paper. Simple black writing."

He blinked and turned to the computer. "What would you like them to say?"

I thought for a moment. "I'm proving myself to Teresa."

He nodded and typed that into the computer. I waited half an hour, and received a package containing my strips of paper. I paid the man five hundred dollars for the effort.

I continued to wander the mall, just browsing. Apparently, some of the girls were 'just browsing' too, because I could feel their eyes watching me whenever I walked past. A particular group of girls always went quiet whenever I walked past them. Eventually, one of them approached me. "Hey," she said, stopping next to me. "My name's Angela. What's yours?"

I was leaning against a wall near the jewellery store, waiting to go and fetch the pendant for Teresa. I examined the girl in front of me. She was a petite girl, with bleached hair and heavy makeup. I smiled politely at her. "Patrick," I replied.

She glanced around. "You seemed lost. Were you looking for someone?"

I smiled at her concern. She was a beautiful girl, someone I probably would have dated had I not fallen for Teresa. "I'm not looking for anyone," I paused. "Perhaps you can help me, actually."

Her sapphire eyes widened. "What do you need me to do?"

I glanced around, slightly embarrassed. "There's a girl I'm trying to impress, but I have very little idea of what I'm actually doing. Can you suggest anything?"

She thought for a moment. "You could just show her you care by getting her things she may need. Spoil her. Every girl likes being spoilt. Maybe a day out somewhere, or just go for coffee."

I nodded. "Can you suggest anything I should get her now?"

She glanced through the window next to me, and pointed at an item in the window. I pushed myself away from the wall. In the display case was a thick silver bracelet, like a twisted rope. Angela smiled. "Get her that. If you don't know what else to get her, give me a call."

She pulled out a piece of paper and wrote down her number. I took it from her. "Thank you, Angela. I will call if I need any more advice."

She smiled up at me. "Always glad to help."

I nodded, and glanced past her. "Maybe that guy against the railing would be better game than me. At least, he seems more willing."

She glanced behind her, and smiled. "I'll go try him instead."

I laughed as she walked away. I was glad to help her like she had helped me.

She rejoined her group of friends, and I entered the store. The same girl glanced back up at me, and pulled out a black box. Inside, on a bed of red velvet, sat the pendant on a thin gold chain. She handed it to me, and I turned to face the window. "Can you also give me that silver bracelet?"

She nodded and fetched it from the case. "That's another three hundred dollars."

I handed the money over and picked up the items. I headed back out to my car and drove home. Back inside my room, I placed the items on my desk, and headed downstairs for some food. I glanced at my watch. It was two o'clock. I headed back out to my car and drove across town to the diner where Teresa worked. As I entered the diner, a blonde waitress looked up at me and grinned. I took a seat in a booth in the back corner and watched as she hurried into the back room. She reappeared two minutes later and sauntered over to my table. I watched in mild amusement as she flipped her hair over her shoulder and smiled down at me. "My name is Samantha, and I will be serving you today. Can I get you anything?"

She bent down slightly, and I smiled pleasantly up at her. "A pot of Earl Grey tea please."

Her eyes widened, but she merely nodded and stood up. I watched her walk past Teresa, and vanish into the back room again. Teresa just shook her head and continued to bustle around the diner. Samantha returned carrying a tray and set it in front of me. She bent forwards and attempted to flirt again, but I just ignored her. "Would you like anything else?"

I shook my head, and she wandered off. I caught Teresa's eye and smiled at her. She smiled back, and continued to serve customers. I sat drinking my tea and watching Teresa as she worked. Samantha returned several more times in the next half hour and kept asking if I wanted anything. In a lull in service, Teresa came over to where I was sitting. "Can I get you anything else?" She asked, pulling out her notepad.

I smiled up at her. "I was wondering when you would come over to say hello."

She rolled her eyes. I looked up into her face and noted with some interest that she had managed to cover the scratches on her face very well. "You're covering those scratches very well."

She automatically reached up to touch her face. "We need to talk about that later."

I frowned momentarily, not wanting to discuss Lorelei. I smiled up at her again. "When do you knock off?"

Teresa glanced at her watch. "Another hour."

I shrugged, content to sit there and watch her work. "I'll wait for you to finish up, and then we can go back to your place."

She nodded slowly, considering the blatant offer. "Can I get you anything else?"

I shook my head. "I'm happy just sitting here."

I stood at the door, waiting for Teresa to finish saying goodbye to Samantha. I bounced impatiently on the spot. "Hurry up, Teresa." I said. "We need to go."

Teresa sighed, but followed me out the door and over to her car. I followed her back to apartment and parked behind her. I got out of the car and walked over to her car door. I pulled it open and she stepped onto the sidewalk. Inside, she disappeared through to her bedroom. I headed over to her kitchenette and began looking in the cupboards. She came back and sat at the desk. "What are you looking for?" she asked, watching me curiously.

I turned around to face her. "You have no actual food."

She nodded like the realisation was nothing unusual. "I know. Money's a little tight this month."

I tilted my head and examined the framed photo on the desk. "It's one of your brother's birthdays."

She stiffened, and I knew I was right. I resumed digging through the cupboards, and she continued to watch from the desk. "Found anything you like yet?"

I opened the tiny bar fridge in the corner and shook my head. The lack of food was disturbing. "Anything you have is either past it's prime or entirely unappealing to the senses. You need actual food, Teresa. Starving yourself isn't healthy."

She snorted delicately. "Well, excuse me for trying to survive on what I can earn."

I closed the fridge and stood up. "Have you ever considered asking one of your friends for help? I'm positive they wouldn't mind lending you money. You could have even asked me."

She frowned, obviously considering the idea absurd. "Why would I want to do that? I don't need anyone's help. I'm surviving okay on my own."

I felt sympathy for her. This was such a Teresa response. I pulled out my cell phone and stepped out the front door. I phoned a local pizza place and ordered a pizza for dinner. I waited outside for it to arrive. Half an hour later, I stepped back into the room with the pizza. I saw Teresa with her head down on the desk. She was obviously asleep. I put the pizza on the counter and walked over to the desk. I rested my hand on her back, and she jumped. "Teresa?" I said softly. She sat up and blinked. "Teresa, wake up. The food has arrived."

She turned around and looked up into my face. She stretched and stood up. She glanced over to the pizza, and smiled. "I haven't had pizza since…" her voice trailed off, and she was obviously fighting a painful memory of happier times.

I rubbed her back gently, and went to fetch the pizza box. I looked around for somewhere to sit, and Teresa smiled sheepishly, blushing slightly. "I can't exactly afford a couch. Or a table. Or a second chair."

I smiled back at her, understanding her lack of funding. "You take the chair. I'll sit against the wall."

I opened the box and offered her the first slice. She wolfed it down hungrily, and I guessed she was quite hungry. Soon the pizza was finished, and she glanced down to where I was sitting. I could see she had some questions to ask. "Why did Lorelei target me specifically? What did I do wrong?"

I glanced up at her. This was a question that I had expected. Teresa was always so quick to take the blame for the attack. "Always one to take responsibility onto yourself, Teresa." I shook my head. "It wasn't anything you did. She just didn't like you much."

She frowned in confusion. "What did I ever do to her?"

"Teresa," I said, smiling at her. "It's not about what you did or didn't do. She felt threatened by you. Even right in the beginning."

I remembered a conversation I had had with Lorelei when Teresa had first arrived. Lorelei had been jealous and hated Teresa for stealing my heart. Teresa's next question pulled me back to the present. "How did I threaten her?"

I stood up, and walked over to her chair. I pulled her to her feet and into an unexpected hug. I wrapped my arms tightly around her, and she stood still. She smelled like vanilla and cherries, and I breathed in her scent. She seemed unsure about what to do next. "Teresa," I whispered into her ear. "You stole what she never could. And that made her jealous of you."

I could almost hear the pieces falling into place, and she stiffened. The letters, the coffee, the visit, Lorelei's attack, even me being here now, all had clear meaning to her. "Patrick," she murmured, slipping her arms around my waist. "I don't know what to say."

I chuckled at her lack of words. "You don't need to say anything, Teresa."

She tried to pull away, but my grip tightened. I wasn't willing to let her go that easily. "Let me go," she insisted, struggling against my arms.

I reluctantly dropped my arms and stepped back. "Teresa," I said, ready to tell her how I felt. "From the moment I saw…"

"Stop," She said, holding up a slightly trembling hand. "I don't want some story, when three months down the line I will mean no more to you than what Lorelei does now."

I shook my head. The idea that Teresa could compare herself to Lorelei like that was ridiculous. Lorelei was nothing compared to Teresa. "It's not like that. Lorelei never really meant anything to me. I pitied her, but that was it."

She frowned. "I don't believe you."

"Teresa, please." I felt the need to beg for her affections.

I took a step towards her, but she just turned away. She didn't trust my intentions, that much was clear. "Prove to me that this isn't some sick joke – that this is real – and maybe I'll give you a chance."

Patrick's face darkened. The mere mention that I would hurt her and break her like that sickened me to the core. "I would never hurt you that way."

She looked up into my eyes, a stubborn set to her chin. "Prove it, Patrick Jane."

Her eyes glinted emerald steel. I felt the determination rise. "Trust me, Teresa. I will. I will prove it, because you're worth it to me."

She searched my face, obviously looking for signs that I was playing around with her, but all she would see was a fierce determination. That was all I felt. She swallowed, and watched as I took a step back. I needed to go before I did something reckless. I turned and walked to the door. I had one more thing to say before I left. I paused with my hand on the doorframe. "By the way," I said, maintaining an air of nonchalance. "You gave Lorelei one hell of a black eye. It was a pretty good shot. I came around the corner as she attacked you. You had hit her before I could take two steps."

I watched her grin vindictively. "Serve's her right."

I laughed. Raising three brothers and dealing with her father had taught her some useful skills. I decided to leave her for the evening. "Good night, Teresa. Sleep well, darling."

She blushed furiously, and I strode from the room laughing.

I drove home deep in thought. Proving myself to Teresa would be tough, but I knew that I had to try. I owed it to her to show her that I was different, and that she could trust me. I suddenly couldn't wait for the following Monday.

**A/N: I hope this long chapter has made up for me abandoning you. Please leave a review and tell me how I'm doing. Thanks.**


	6. Chapter 6

Crimson High – The Jane Story

**A/N: I am so very sorry it's taken so long to update this story. Exams took over for a while, but now they are over. Updates should now be more frequent. Please accept this chapter as an apology and a peace offering. I will also try to get another chapter of 'Crimson High' out by this evening, because you have all been asking so nicely.**

Chapter 6

I lay awake in bed early that Monday morning, trying to work out how I was going to get into the school and leave one thousand strips of paper in the hallways. As I rolled over, I noticed that the clock read 3:37. I sighed and sat up. I spotted my bottom drawer of my desk, and an idea occurred. I got up quickly and went over to it. Inside, I found what I was looking for. A blood red notebook and a lock picking kit.

The notebook belonged to Red John, and was the reason I had faint scars on my left shoulder. It was a stupid idea, but JJ and Craig had wanted to pull a prank on Principal Minelli during the last school year. They needed alarm codes. I was told to buy them off Red John. But I didn't want to pay his ridiculous prices. I actually insulted the man; something he didn't take lightly to. But I broke into his office to steal the codes, and he caught me. He held me down and pulled out his knife. He carved his signature into my skin; a grotesque smiley face. Nothing could be proven, because I refused to admit to stealing from him. I kept the notebook, but he got away with it.

I pulled out the notebook and flipped through it. I found the code to disarm the front door and hallway. I pulled on some dark clothing and went downstairs. I snuck out and drove to school.

The building was black in the night, and I stood staring up at it. I walked to the front door and proceeded to pick the lock. I knew the keypad to disarm the alarm in the front section of the school was just behind the first classroom door. I hurried over to it and typed in the code. The keypad stopped beeping. I picked up my package and opened it. I started at one end of the long hallway and worked my way to the door. I scattered the bits of paper from one wall to the other, coating the floor in them. I dumped what was left by the door and kicked the pile. They scattered across the room. Satisfied with my work, I reactivated the alarm and shut the door. It locked automatically. I returned home.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

I arrived at school at the normal time to find a crowd of people standing at the door. I pushed through to find JJ standing near the front. He was looking at the hallway in confusion. "Good morning," I greeted him.

He turned to me. "Did you have something to do with this, Patrick?"

I bent down and picked up a slip of paper. "No, this wasn't me."

JJ raised an eyebrow. "Really? Because there is only one Teresa in this school and I know you have your eye on her."

I turned and walked away. I stopped at Teresa's locker and slipped the pendant into it. I stood next to my locker and listened to people walking past me. They were speculating who could have left the papers in the hallway. I watched as a tiny figure with dark hair wound her way through the crowds towards me. Teresa gripped her bag with one hand as she stopped in front of me. "Patrick Jane," she said, stopping in front of where I stood.

"Teresa," I said with a bright smile. "How are you this morning?"

She ignored my question. "Really?" she asked sceptically, pulling out a piece of paper. "This is all you could come up with?"

I smiled and took the paper from her. "I thought that you would like the surprise."

She raised an eyebrow at me. "So you thought to litter the entire school in annoying bits of paper? It will take weeks for Red John to find all of them. You know how he hates a mess to start with."

I shrugged at the mention of Red John. "It was a reminder to everyone else that I'm going to prove myself, no matter what."

She sighed and turned away from me. "This is completely unnecessary."

I smiled at her statement. "I knew you would say that, but that's fine. What you deem to be necessary and what I deem to be necessary are two completely different things."

"I realise that," she countered, glancing up at me. "But you didn't need to be so extravagant."

I shrugged. "I'm a showman. It's what I do."

She turned away again. "Patrick, just be a little more subtle next time."

I put my hand on her shoulder in an attempt to convey how I felt. "Teresa, I will prove that this is real. I promise you that."

She walked away, leaving me standing there in the hallway. I knew that she knew this was just the beginning, and I smiled at the thought of leaving the pendant in her locker that morning.

I headed to Ms Hightower's Science lesson and went over to her desk. I had a favour to ask her. "Ms Hightower," I said softly, leaning over the desk.

"Yes, Mr Jane?"

"Please may I ask a favour of you."

She nodded expectantly, and I pulled an envelope from my bag. "Please give this to Teresa Lisbon when she comes into your class."

She took the envelope from me. "Should I tell her who it's from?"

I shook my head. "She'll know."

She nodded and dropped the envelope into her desk drawer. I sat down at my desk. The envelope contained a wad of cash, six hundred and fifty dollars, and a note.

"Teresa, I know you have probably spent the last lesson mulling over the cost of the pendant I gave you, and so I decided to ease your mind and give you the equivalent amount of money in cash. Just a small donation towards supporting your brothers back home. I hope you appreciate my efforts, Teresa. Patrick."

I knew that Teresa would be worried that I had spent too much money on her. I knew she worried a lot about her brothers. I guess she had reason to worry. From what I could figure out about her personality, she was worried that her father would hurt her brothers in some way. An idea was formulating itself, but I knew that it would need time to properly perfect. I pushed the thought away as the bell rang. I stood up and hurried from the room. I went to the empty bathroom and pulled out my cell phone. I dialled Teresa's work. "Chuck Charlie's," said a female voice on the other end. "How may I help you?"

"Hi," I said. "My name is Patrick. I'm a friend of Teresa Lisbon. I would like to request that she get the rest of today off."

"On what grounds?" the voice sounded sceptical.

I thought quickly. "She has a stomach bug. It seems to be a twenty-four hour type bug, but I don't think she should be working today."

The voice sighed. "We will book her off today."

I smiled. "Thank you so much."

The woman on the other end hung up the phone, and I pulled out a piece of paper. I scrawled a note and headed back out into the now emptying hallway. I strolled over to Teresa's locker and slid my note under the edge of the door.

"By the way, Teresa, don't bother going to work today. I called them and they gave you the day off. You need a rest from daily life."

I headed off to Geography, planning my next phase. I decided that Grace would probably be my best option, because I knew she was a hopeless romantic. At lunchtime, I hurried to catch up with Grace and Rigsby on their way into the cafeteria. "Grace," I said, catching up to her. "I need your help with something."

She looked at me like I was crazy. "You need my help?"

I nodded. Rigsby seemed upset that I was talking to his girlfriend, and so I smiled at him. "Don't worry, Wayne," I said. "She's crazy for you."

Grace blushed at my words, and I turned back to her. "Please do this for me."

We entered the room and walked over to their table in the corner. I sat across from them. "I need you to give something to Teresa for me."

Grace blinked. "Teresa?"

I nodded. "I have no time for you to ask questions."

Rigsby scowled at me. "If you're planning to hurt her in any way, I swear I'll…"

I took his unspoken threat to heart. "I would never dream of hurting her. I fear you and Cho far too much to do that to her." I glanced towards the door and spotted Teresa and Cho heading towards the table. "Please just give this to her."

I handed him the silver box with the bracelet in it. I then got up quickly and left the room. I stood in the hallway, knowing that Teresa would come out to find me. I wasn't disappointed, because she soon appeared and walked over to me. "Patrick," she said, gripping the silver box. "Giving me expensive gifts won't prove anything except that you have very little regard for money and spending."

I smiled at her. I knew that she found the gifts over the top. "I know that, but I'm proving myself, remember? This is just trial and error for me. I'll find something that proves to you what you mean to me."

She shrugged, and asked a question I expected. "Why do I have the day off?"

I grinned at her. She had obviously found my note. "So I can spend the rest of the day proving myself."

She shook her head in annoyance. "Patrick, I don't want you to spend money on me."

I tilted my head and studied her face. I could see the worry in her eyes and knew why. "You're worried because you're being spoilt while your brothers are suffering back home." An idea had occurred to me. "Don't worry, I'm sending them money as well. Whatever I spend on you, that same amount goes back to them. You can just relax and have fun."

I watched tears form in her eyes. She blinked rapidly and looked away. I reached out and gently touched her face. "You don't have to do this," she murmured.

"Don't cry, Teresa," I said gently, pulling her face up. "I'm doing it because you're worth it to me." She stepped back, and I dropped my arms. Teresa still clutched the box Rigsby had given her, and I smiled. "I take it you got your gift."

She nodded and looked down at the box. "So, what are we doing this afternoon?"

I raised an eyebrow. "That's a surprise. I'll pick you up from your house after school."

I touched her cheek gently before turning around and striding away. I left her alone in the hallway, still clutching tightly to the box.

XxxxxxxxxxxX

I rounded the corner on the way to Teresa's apartment to see her standing outside waiting. I left the engine running and got out to open her door for her. She smiled as she got in. I joined her inside and drove away from her house towards a nearby mall. I watched her put her purse onto the floor and sit back in her seat. She glanced self-consciously down at her jeans, and I observed that they were a little grimy. That seemed to bother her a little. I glanced across at her. "I don't care what they look like. As long as I'm with you, I'm happy."

She blushed, and I laughed. "I don't exactly have a huge amount of clothing," she said, gazing through the window. "What I do have barely lasts me a week. I can't help having to re-wear a lot of it. People don't really notice, so it's fine."

I shrugged. "I notice, and it's not fine. That's why we're going here first."

I turned off into a mall parking lot. I turned off the car and watched as she fidgeted nervously with the seatbelt. "Patrick," she said again, more insistent. "You don't have to. I'm surviving with what I have. Really."

"Teresa," I said, taking her hand. "I want to do this because I care about you. I worry that you're not eating, that your clothing isn't even lasting you a week, and that you're wearing yourself out with work. Please just humour me and let me do this for you. Please, Teresa."

She looked down at our joined hands, then back up into my face. I was caught off guard by the emerald eyes boring into mine, but she nodded. I grinning blindingly and got out of the car. She followed me into the mall, and I headed towards a big clothing store. At the door, I gently grabbed her arm. "Pick whatever you want." I told her.

I watched her as she walked slowly through the aisles. She looked almost shell-shocked, like she was overwhelmed by so much clothing. She picked up a shirt from the rack and held it out at arm's length. It was purple, and the style was something she seemed to like. She glanced up at me, as though for my approval. "If you want it, take it."

She nodded, and clung tightly to the shirt. I laughed as she moved uncertainly through the aisles. "What's so funny?" she asked, looking around nervously.

I grinned. "You look so lost, like the shelves are going to jump out and bite you. Here," I pulled several items from some of the shelves. "Try these on and see what you like or don't like. We can put back what you don't like, and I'll get you what you do like."

She nodded as I handed the clothing to her. I gave her several more items as we walked through the store. We walked together in the direction of the dressing room, and she seemed a little more relaxed. "Patrick," she said. "Thank you."

I smiled. "Show me when you've tried something on."

The next two hours I sat outside the dressing room, admiring and observing the different clothing Teresa tried on. She settled on a surprisingly large amount of clothing, and I grinned, happy that she had decided to go along with this. "See?" I said as we left the store. "I said you would enjoy yourself."

I watched her smile. "This was fun."

She carried the bags as we went out to my car. I opened the trunk and she put them in. "Now," I said, ready to go on to our next destination. "You need food in your house. Real food, not the crap you keep buying for yourself."

She blushed again. "Grocery shopping?"

I nodded, pulling into another parking lot. Half an hour later, we returned with several bags of food. I turned the car in the direction of her house, and she relaxed back against the seat. "Patrick," she said, staring off into the twilight sky. "Thank you for today."

I reached over and took her hand. "You never asked me how I knew about your brothers."

She shrugged. "The thought never crossed my mind."

I sighed. I had to tell her the truth. "I was in the coffee shop that day. I heard you telling Grace your story."

She stiffened. "So you know why I'm in California."

I squeezed her hand. A question niggled at me though. "There is one thing, though," I said, glancing at her. "I got the impression that you didn't tell Grace the whole story. That some details were omitted."

She nodded, confirming my suspicions. "I kept some of it to myself. To protect her."

I sighed. I decided to work up to telling her what I suspected. My story would be a good place to start, so she could understand me for a change. "My story is different. I was born and raised in the carnival. My dad used me as a sideshow, and taught me cold-reading, hypnosis. He called me the Boy Wonder. Basically, I was a fake psychic. My mother left the carnival when I was ten, and took me with her. I've been living with her ever since. I haven't seen my father since we left. But I still have the skills I was taught. I could probably guess what you omitted."

I felt her heart racing, and she pulled her hand away. "I don't think you can," she said sceptically.

I stared straight ahead. "You left out some details to protect Grace and the others from your past. It was something horrific, and very recent. You wouldn't have left your brothers if it weren't absolutely necessary, so it must still be happening. It has something to do with your father, which is why you don't trust me."

I was working on my previous observations; how she ducked if I moved my hand too quickly, her mistrust of me. I seemed to be right on the mark, because it was as though she were a statue, not moving or saying a word.

I continued with my hypothesis. "I know he was prone to drinking, and so I can only deduce that he abused you physically. Probably beat you quite violently on occasion. You took most of the beatings to protect your brothers."

I heard her breathing hitch, and I nodded grimly. This was one instance that I hated being right. "My dad's back in rehab again," she murmured, confirming what I had guessed. "The boys are with friends up the road from the house, being cared for until he comes back out again."

I watched as she absentmindedly brushed her fingers lightly over her lips. I guessed that she had suffered severe damage to her bottom lip as a result of a recent beating. I reached over and grabbed her hand. I brought it to my lips and kissed it softly. Her skin was soft and warm. "I promise to do everything in my power I can to protect them. I promise, Teresa."

My lips tingled at the contact, and we pulled up to her apartment. She turned to me. "Thank you for the day, Patrick. I really enjoyed it."

I laughed and turned off the car. "You really think you're going to get rid of me that easily?"

She shook her head. "No. You're quite persistent. Would you like to come in?"

I nodded, and helped her carry everything into the tiny house. I packed away the groceries into the kitchen cupboards as she went through to the bedroom. I began cooking her a real meal. My mother had taught me how to cook, and it was something I enjoyed doing. Teresa came through to see what I was cooking. "Pasta, Teresa," I said. "I'm treating you to a real meal."

She smiled at the thought. "I'm almost done here. Call me when it's ready."

I nodded, knowing that she was packing away her new clothes. Ten minutes later, I called her for dinner. She grinned as she walked through to the lounge. She seemed to really enjoy the meal. Soon, I stood up to leave. I had to get home to my mother. "See you tomorrow, Teresa," I said at the door.

She nodded. "Thank you, Patrick."

I smiled as I shut the door behind me. Back at home, I stretched out on my couch. That day had been eventful, but I knew that I was not ready to celebrate yet. She did sort of trust me, but I hadn't won her over yet. That would take a lot of work. I relished the challenge.

**A/N2: I hope you are happy with this chapter, and that 'Crimson High' can now progress. Please review and tell me what you think. Thanks.**


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